Manure spreader with bed closing gates

ABSTRACT

A manure spreader especially adapted for use in spreading relatively fluid manures. The exemplary embodiment comprises a box-like bed having an open end mounted on wheels and including a conveyor within the bed for conveying manure towards the open end thereof. In addition, a rotary spreading element is provided for spreading manure fed to the same by the conveyor. A pivotally mounted gate is biased towards a position to close the bed with the biasing being sufficiently weak that upon operation of the conveyor or spreader, the pressure of manure impinging against the gate will cause the same to automatically open to allow manure to be spread. The gate insures that relatively fluid manures cannot escape from the bed during movement of the spreader to a location whereat a spreading operation is to take place and prior to initiation of the spreading operation.

United States Patent [191 Ryan 1 [4 1 Feb. 5, 1974 [22] Filed:/

[5 1 MANURE SPREADER wrrn BED CLOSING GATES [75] Inventor: Kelly P.Ryan, Blair, Nebr.

[7 3] Assignee: Blair Manufacturing Co., Inc., Blair,

' Nebr.

Feb. 2, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 222,864

[52] U.S. Cl. 222/178, 222/517 [51] Int. Cl. A01c 19/00 [58] Field ofSearch... 222/176, 177, 178, 494, 415,

3,229,983 1/1966 Brammer 222/313 X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. TollbergAttorney, Agent, or Firml'lofgren, Wcgncr. Allen, Stellman & McCordABSTRACT A manure spreader especially adapted for use in spreadingrelatively fluid manures. The exemplary embodiment comprises a box-likebed having an open end .tnounted on wheels and including a conveyorwithin the bed for conveying manure towards the open end thereof. Inaddition, a rotary spreading element is provided for spreading manurefed to the same by the conveyor. A pivotally mounted gate is biasedtowards a position to close the bed with the biasing being sufficientlyweak that upon operation of the conveyor or spreader, the pressure ofmanure impinging against the g ate will cause the same to automaticallyopen'to allow manure to be spread. The gate insures that relativelyfluid manures cannot escape from the bed during movement of the spreaderto a location whereat a spreading operation is to take place and priorto initiation of the spreading operation.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 11in I 66 MANURE SPREADER WITH BED CLOSINGGATES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to manureSpreaders.

Manure spreaders have long been used by farmers to distribute waste oflivestock on fields to be cultivated for the fertilizer value of thewaste. Typically, a manure spreader includes a box-like bed having anopen end with a conveyor mounted in the bed for feeding manure towardsthe open end. Just above the end of the conveyor near the open end ofthe bed there is located a rotatable element having a-plurality ofpaddles for engaging the manure as it is delivered to the open end bythe conveyor to throw the same evenly out of the open end to spread thesame on the field. Generally, the spreading device and the conveyor areselectively operable and are inoperativewhen the manure spreader isbeing moved to a location where a spreading operation is to take place.

For, most types of manure, the foregoing construction is satisfactoryinasmuch asthere is little tendency for the manure to exit the bedduring movement of the vehicle to the desired point of use so thatlittle of the manure is lost at undesired locations. However, some typesof manure, as for example, hog manure, are more fluid than others and ifa substantial distance from the point of loading of the spreader to theintended point of operation is present, a significant amount of suchrelatively fluid manures may be lost in transit. And the rough terrainover which such vehicles customarily must travel aggravates the problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The exemplary embodiment of the invention Iachieves the foregoing objects by means of a construction including abox-like bed having an open top and an open end and adapted to receivemanure. Within the bed there is located aconveyor for conveying manurereceived toward the open end and adjacent the open end, a spreaderdevice is located for throwing manure received by the same from theconveyor out of the open end to spread the same as desired.

A gate is pivotally mounted adjacent the open end for movement between aposition wherein the open end is closed, and a position wherein the openend is opened and is normally biased by a relatively weak spring towardthe closed position. The spring exerts sufficient force against the gateso as to maintain the same in the closed position when a spreadingoperation is not to take place. However, when operation of one or theother or both of the conveyor or the spreader device takes place, thepressure of the manure against the gate is sufficient to overcome thebiasing of the spring and move the gate to its open position whereuponthe manure may be spread. Preferably, the gate is of sufficient weightso that once moved to its open position, the weight of the gate willovercome the bias of the spring to maintain the gate in the openposition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view ofa manure spreader made according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the manure spreader.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An exemplary embodiment of amanure spreader is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is seen to comprise abox-like bed, generally designated 10, having upstanding side walls 12,an open top, an open end 14 and a bottom 16. The bottom 16 is supportedby axles 18 (only one of which is shown) which, in turn, mount wheels 20(only one of which is shown) whereby the same may be moved to thedesired point of use.

Within the bed 10, and just abovethe bottom 16 thereof, there is locateda horizontal conveyor 21 comprised of spaced drive chains 22 mountingangle irons 23 and operative when energized in a conventional fashion toconvey manure within the bed 10 from left to right as viewed in FIG. 1toward the open end 14.

Just above the conveyor 21 and adjacent the open end 14 there .is aconventional spreading device, generally designated 24, and comprised ofa rotatable drum 26 mounting a plurality of paddles 28. The drum 26 ismounted on a shaft 30 journalled in pillow block bearings 32 mounted onthe side walls 12 and may be driven in a counterclockwise direction asindicated in FIG. 1 by any conventional means as is well-known in theart to engage manure conveyed toward the open end 14 by the conveyor 21.and throw the same out of the end 14 to spread the same along the groundon which the vehicle is traveling.

Also provided is a pressure responsive gate means, generally designated34 for closing the open end l4-so that relatively fluid manures cannotexit the end 14 unintentionally as, for example, when the bed 10 isbeing moved to a point of intended use. With reference to both FIGS. 1and2, the gate means 34 is comprised of a gate member 36 of sufficientlength to effectively close the open end 14. A pair of elbow-shapedlinks 38 each have one end secured to the gate 36 and their other endfixedly secured to a pivotal shaft 40. The shaft is received in spacedsleeves 42 (only one of which is shown) secured to the underside' of thebed 10 by blocks 44. As a result, the gate 36 is movable between openand closed positions as illustrated in FIG. 2.

More specifically, when the gate 36 is in the solid line positionillustrated in FIG. 2, a resilient lower edge 46 fonned of rubber or thelike will abut the bed bottom 16 to preclude appreciable leakage ofmanure out of the open end 14. The resilient lower edge 46 may besecured in place by an angle iron 48 or the like and the lower cornersof the gate 36 are notched as at 50 to accommodate the drive chains 22for the conveyor 21.

Returning to the shaft 40, a biasing arm 54 is secured to the same andhas an aperture 56 near its upper end for receiving one end of a spring58. The other end of the spring 58 is secured by any suitable means to amember 60 projecting outwardly from one side of the bed 10. As a result,the gate 36 will normally be biased to its solid line or closed positionas illustrated in FIG.

In addition, the shaft 40 fixedly mounts a stop arm 62 having aninwardly projecting stop pin 64 adapted to engage the underside of thebed and limit clockwise movement of the gate 36about the pivot pointdefined by the shaft 40 so that the gate 36 cannot move beyond thedotted line or open position illustrated in FIG. 2. Finally, a manualoperator 66 is fixedly secured to the shaft 40 for manual manipulationof the gate 36.

As mentioned previously, it is an object of the invention that the gate36 respond to pressure applied thereto by moving manure forced againstthe same by operation of either the conveyor 21 or the spreading device24 or both to move from its closed position to its open position. Inaddition, it is desired that the gate 36 remain in the open positiononce the spreading operation has been initiated even though subsequentlyceased. That is, opening of the gate is responsive to initiation of aspreading operation while closing of the same, in the exemplaryembodiment, must be accomplished manually through appropriatemanipulation of the manual operator 66.

To the foregoing ends, the spring 58 is chosen to be relatively weak andexert a force against the gate 36 just sufficient to maintain the samein the closed position whenever pressure is not being applied thereto bymoving manure. In addition, it is desirable that the spring 58 besufficiently weak such that the weight of the gate will overcome theclosing bias applied to the same when the gate has been moved to itsopen position.

In operation, with the gate 36 closed, the bed 10 may be loaded withmanure and the vehicle then towed to a location whereat the manure is tobe spread; During such movement, the conveyor 21 and the spreadingdevice 24 are inoperative and the gate 36 will remain in its closedposition to preclude appreciable leakage of manure through the open end14 of the bed even though the bed may be traveling over extremely roughterrain, as, for example, furrows in a cultivated field.

When the desired point of use has been reached, the conveyor 21 and thespreading device 24 may be actuated in a conventional manner with theresult that manure will be moved against the gate 36. The resultingpressure applied to the same will overcome the bias of the spring withthe result that the gate 36 will move from its closed position to itsopen position and the spreading operation will take place in theconventional manner.

Thereafter, when the spreading operation has been completed, the gate 36will remain open until such time as it is closed by counterclockwisemovement of the manual operator 66, at which time it will then remainclosed until the operation is repeated.

I claim:

1. A manure spreader comprising a box-shaped bed having an open top andan open end and adapted to receive manure; wheel means mounted on saidbed whereby said bed may be transported to a desired location; aconveyor within said bed extending substantially along the lengththereof and operative to convey manure within said bed towards said openend; manure spreading means mounted adjacent said open end for spreadingmanure conveyed thereto by said conveyor; a pivotally mounted gate fornormally closing said open end and responsive to pressure applied to thesame by moving manure for moving to and remaining in a fully openposition whereby manure may be retained in said bed during movement ofthe same to a location where manure is to be spread and a manurespreading operation may be initiated by operating at least one of saidconveyor and said spreading means without manual manipulation of saidgate; means whereby said gate may be closed following a manure spreadingoperation; said gate being pivotally mounted along one side thereof tosaid bed, and further including a spring con- 'nected to said gate forbiasing the same towards the position wherein said open end is closed bythe gate; said spring having sufficient strength to maintain said gatein said closed position when a manure spreading opera tion is not takingplace but insufficient strength to maintain said gate in said closedposition during a manure spreading operation; the weight of said gatefurther being such as to cause the same to remain open against the biasof said spring once the gate has been moved to an open position; saidgate being pivotally mounted by means of a shaft journalled to said bed,said gate being fixed to said shaft; an arm extending from said shaftand having said spring secured thereto to bias said shaft in a directionto close said gate; a handle secured to said shaft for rotating the sameto manually control said gate; and stop means secured to said shaft forengaging said bed to limit movement of said gate in one direction ofmovement thereof.

2. The manure spreader of claim 1 further including a resilient sealingelement depending from the underside of said gate for sealingly engagingsaid bed when said gate is in the closed position.

1. A manure spreader comprising a box-shaped bed having an open top andan open end and adapted to receive manure; wheel means mounted on saidbed whereby said bed may be transported to a desired location; aconveyor within said bed extending substantially along the lengththereof and operative to convey manure within said bed towards said openend; manure spreading means mounted adjacent said open end for spreadingmanure conveyed thereto by said conveyor; a pivotally mounted gate fornormally closing said open end and responsive to pressure applied to thesame by moving manure for moving to and remaining in a fully openposition whereby manure may be retained in said bed during movement ofthe same to a location where manure is to be spread and a manurespreading operation may be initiated by operating at least one of saidconveyor and said spreading means without manual manipulation of saidgate; means whereby said gate may be closed following a manure spreadingoperation; said gate being pivotally mounted along one side thereof tosaid bed, and further including a spring connected to said gate forbiasing the same towards the position wherein said open end is closed bythe gate; said spring having sufficient strength to maintain said gatein said closed position when a manure spreading operation is not takingplace but insufficient strength to maintain said gate in said closedposition during a manure spreading operation; the weight of said gatefurther being such as to cause the same to remain open against the biasof said spring once the gate has been moved to an open position; saidgate being pivotally mounted by means of a shaft journalled to said bed,said gate being fixed to said shaft; an arm extending from said shaftand having said spring secured thereto to bias said shaft in a directionto close said gate; a handle secured to said shaft for rotating the sameto manually control said gate; and stop means secured to said shaft forengaging said bed to limit movement of said gate in one direction ofmovement thereof.
 2. The manure spreader of claim 1 further including aresilient sealing element depending from the underside of said gate forsealingly engaging said bed when said gate is in the closed position.